Life Is a Highway
by RainbowFirebird
Summary: Gilbert Beilschmidt hadn't spoken to his little brother since graduating high school. So when Ludwig suddenly receives a phone call from him suggesting they go on a road trip around Europe, he isn't sure what to think. As they tour the continent, Gilbert runs into an old flame and realizes something that just may ruin his plans: he's still hopelessly in love with her. (Human AU)


Ludwig Beilschmidt was completely immersed in his work, writing his tenth page of a research paper for class, when the familiar _BRRRRRING _of his home phone echoed through the house. Displeased, he found himself pulled out of his working trance by the sound, and he scowled as he got up to answer. That phone rarely received calls, and when it did, it was usually Feliciano asking for help with something. But...Feliciano was out of town with to spend time with his brother this week.

So who the hell was calling him?

He gave a resigned sigh as he picked up the phone, uttering a gruff "Hello?"

The other end was quiet for a moment before the caller spoke up. "Ludwig? It's...It's Gilbert."

He raised an eyebrow. What was Gilbert doing calling him? The brothers had lost touch over the years, too caught up in their respective lifestyles to talk to each other much. They were two very different men, as anyone would be able to see, and they grew apart once they were each living on their own.

"Is something the matter? You never call."

There was shuffling on the other end of the phone, like Gilbert was shifting his position.

"I've got an idea. It's big and stupid and maybe just a little bit crazy. And I want you to come along with me." His smile could be heard in his voice, which trembled ever so slightly.

"You lost me at 'I've got an idea,'" Ludwig replied lightly.

Gilbert's eyes rolled almost audibly. "Come on. We both know you want to hear it. And you're totally going to want to join me. It's gonna be sick."

"Well, stop boasting and get to the point. I was in the middle of getting very important work done when you interrupted me with your call."

"Forget the work, Lud. Take a vacation. We..." He paused, as if for dramatic effect. Not realizing, of course, that such a tactic was really only effective in works of fiction and that in actuality he sounded pretty foolish. "Are going on a road trip. One month. You, me, and all of Europe. What do you say?"

The words slipped out of Ludwig's mouth before he had a chance to stop them. "You're crazy."

"But you'll come."

It seemed even after all these years, Gilbert still knew Ludwig better than anyone else. Despite his initial thoughts towards it, he mulled the idea over in his head and decided maybe it was time for him to take a break from working. His school assignments weren't exactly piling up (quite the contrary: he was currently wrapping up papers that wouldn't be due for another month and a half) and it was early in summer vacation. He sighed again, supposing he could afford to take the trip.

"Of course."

Ludwig was reminded of a time when they were young: Gilbert was eleven years old and Ludwig eight. The older boy had come up with an idea he had deemed, in his own words, "completely epic." The plan was simple: storm into the backyard of their next-door neighbor (the tomboyish and infamous Erzsébet Héderváry) and seize her tree-house.

As was so often the case, Ludwig was a crucial part of the scheme, and his participation was required in order to ensure its success. As much as Ludwig believed in following the rules, he admired his older brother. It was, it seemed, an inherent trait of siblings: the younger looked up to the older and tended to do whatever was asked of them by the latter.

And so it was that eight-year-old Ludwig was stuck on lookout duty, armed with a plastic sword and shield, hiding behind the bushes that separated the two backyards. Gilbert, meanwhile, was preparing his attack, NERF gun in hand, revising his battle strategy with a stick in the dirt. It was clear he'd picked up most of his war "knowledge" from the movies their father technically didn't want them watching but Gilbert totally did anyway.

Ludwig supposed his brother was a rebel. But he also supposed Gilbert was really awesome and driven, which in a way he was. When Gilbert Beilschmidt wanted something, Gilbert Beilschmidt damn well got it, whether he was meant to or not. It was a well-known fact that he was somewhat cocky, but perhaps he had earned that right.

Erzsébet could tell the boys were up to something, that much Ludwig knew. She watched their yard suspiciously from her treehouse, a plastic telescope clutched tightly in her hands. She turned from the window and said something the blond couldn't hear. _She's not alone, then_, Ludwig thought.

He was about to warn Gilbert that Erzsébet probably had backup, but when he looked to the makeshift camp, he found his brother wasn't there.

Suddenly, a wild shout rang through the neighborhood, and there he was in all his glory: The great military general Gilbert Beilschmidt charging over the grass, holding his gun against his chest so it wouldn't slow him down, dress-up cape billowing behind him in the wind.

But alas, the brunette was ready for his attack. The bright war cry of a trumpet blared, and from the window of the treehouse fell an armful of water balloons, splattering across the grass and soaking Gilbert to the bone.

Let it be said that Gilbert was always a tough man: the ice-cold water from the balloons chilled Ludwig just to look at, yet the white-haired boy merely pumped the NERF gun a few times, aiming it threateningly upward at the window, determination flooding his face as water dripped from his bangs to his quivering purple lips.

He dodged the next round of water balloons with gritted teeth and fired a few shots from his gun, pelting Erzsébet with the foam. She growled and pulled out a NERF weapon of her own: a bow and arrow, one of the newest weapons the company had produced. Shooting from above, she chuckled. Admittedly, Gilbert was an easy target: bright red cape and white hair against the dark green summer grass.

Ludwig watched in awe as his brother put up a valiant fight, his sheer refusal to give up inspiring the blue-eyed boy. _I'm gonna be great like him one day_, he thought with a grin.

Ludwig shook his head. He had gotten so sucked into his memory he'd forgotten he was talking to Gilbert. "Ah, s-sorry. I was just...lost in thought. Did you say something?"

Gilbert groaned. "I thought you'd grow out of this by now. I was listing the stuff we still need to get. Like, we have to shop for food. I figured we'd do that together since I don't know what you like and also I don't know shit about cooking."

"So that's why you want me on this trip." An amused smirk twitched on his lips.

"No!" Gilbert insisted. "I mean, okay, maybe a little. But just a little. All right, fine, so that was the primary reason. But I also wanted to spend time with you!"

Ludwig couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're so defensive."

"Am not!" Gilbert protested.

He chuckled. "I missed talking to you."

"No way, don't get all sentimental on me, you big lug. You know I don't do that cheesy crap. Never was much for feelings. Nope, cold as stone, this guy. Heartless, e-"

Gilbert was interrupted by a series of harsh coughs, pulling away from the phone a moment in an attempt at politeness.

Ludwig cocked an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

Gilbert cleared his throat once before speaking. "Eh, just allergies. Pollen and stuff."

There was a quiet "Hm." of acknowledgement from Ludwig's end.

"I should let you get back to your work. I don't wanna keep you."

"Ah, it's no trouble." Ludwig paused. "It really was nice to be able to talk to you," he said softly.

Gilbert sighed, accepting his mushy-gushy, sentiment-filled fate. "Yeah..." He hesitated. "I'll call again if you want. Every day. I mean, until the trip. We leave in a week, so pack your bags ahead of time. I know how you always used to like doing things in advance." He laughed. "Never change, Luddy."

"Don't call me that. I'm not a kid anymore."

"But you're my kid brother. That means you're always a kid to me!" The shit-eating grin could be heard in his voice.

Ludwig grunted, the only response he could make without revealing he was smiling ever so slightly.

"All right, I'll go. I'll call tomorrow so we can do more planning now that I know you're in."

"Talk to you then...Gilbo."

Gilbert snorted, a mix of laughter and disgust, at the sound of the nickname. When Ludwig was a toddler, he couldn't say Gilbert's name properly and most of the time it came out sounding something like "Gilbo." Even once Ludwig could say his name right, he still made sure his older brother would never live down such a stupid name.

"You little..." he murmured with a smile as he hung up.

Ludwig sucked in a breath slowly as he set down the phone, holding the air in a moment. He moved back to his room as it was exhaled, relaxing his shoulders and rolling them to loosen the muscles. He realized with a groan and a crack of his neck just how stiff he'd gotten in...how long had he been working before that phone rang?

Upon checking the clock, Ludwig found that he had worked for...Christ, had it really been four hours? It had felt like a matter of minutes as he'd scribbled down notes and revisions for the essay.

Shaking his head, the blue-eyed man continued to gently stretch and loosen his muscles as he slipped the in-progress papers into the appropriate places on his desk before pulling out his old suitcase, which had gone more or less untouched since he'd moved into this apartment.

Packing. Right. For one month he'd need clothes, shower supplies, money, some sort of food (though that would be bought later), and a whole list of other things Ludwig could imagine would come in handy. A first-aid kit (just in case), duct tape (you never know!), a computer and a phone (wait, should he really pack those a week early), enough clothes to last...hmm. How often would they be washing clothes?

So many questions he wished he'd thought of. A soft sigh slipped from his lungs as he determined what should be packed now and what he might need this week.

In the end, he decided to throw a week's worth of clothes and figure out the rest with Gilbert next time they spoke. His brother, after all, was the one with the plan this time.

It was strange, actually, to imagine the white-haired young man sitting around researching places to go, where to stay, where to eat, and in general making an effort to pull together a plan for something. It wasn't really a very "Gilbert" thing, making plans.

In all honesty, Ludwig was fully aware that he would probably be the one to do most of the planning and researching. Gilbert may be the one to come up with the idea, but no doubt there were some crucial things he'd neglected in plotting a Europe-wide road trip.

Another question nagged at Ludwig's mind: just where in Europe would they be going? Which countries would they hit in this month-long adventure of theirs? Italy? France? Would they go as far as the British Isles? "Road trip across Europe" wasn't a very specific description. Ludwig really had no idea what he was getting into, and it bothered him a bit.

As with everything else, he resolved to ask next time he talked to his brother.

Gilbert flopped down on the couch, flicking on the TV. There was nothing good on, but he wasn't really watching anyway. It was something to occupy his eyes so his brain could do a little much-needed work.

He thanked his lucky stars Ludwig had agreed to come. God, it had been so many years since they'd last spoken. Once Gilbert had graduated high school, he moved out and severed himself from his family completely.

His parents thought him a slacker and something of a troublemaker, which he supposed was true if you looked at it a certain way. Gilbert just had a different way of doing things. Which...admittedly usually got him into trouble.

And then there was Ludwig. Gilbert chewed his lip slightly. He'd never meant to lose touch with his little brother, but...time got away from them. Ludwig was still in school and Gilbert was too busy switching jobs near-constantly he never had much time to himself.

But this month, he'd fix that. He wasn't taking on any jobs during this time, and he was bringing along all the money he could spare. It wasn't much, but Gilbert knew his brother would understand. Or, at least, he figured if he hoped hard enough and maybe threw in a few puppy-dog eyes Ludwig would be willing to cover just a little bit more than his own share.

His roommate was planning to be out late tonight, not that that was any surprise. The blond was constantly preaching about how important it is to go out, meet people, and find love or something romance-movie-esque like that. Gilbert didn't really see how seeing a different woman or man every night was going to help Francis find true love, but then again he was French. You never could tell with those serial seducers.

In any case, Gilbert had the cramped apartment to himself this evening, and so decided to relax and do something he hadn't in a while. Something he could only ever do alone.

He got up to flip through the DVD cabinet, pulling out a small section of the boxes to reveal a few stuffed on the very back of the shelf. Reserved for nights like these, when Gilbert was plain bored and no one was around, the movies were rarely touched.

He selected one after a few moments of thought, slipping it into the DVD player and settling back down on the well-loved sofa. He paused for a second before shifting to grab the box of tissues that sat on the table beside the couch. He'd be needing those later.

As the film began, those familiar emotions were already stirring in the pit of his stomach. He knew the dialogue almost by heart now, and certain lines never failed to bring on a surge of feeling even early on in the movie.

Gilbert knew what would happen, of course. He knew how everything played out, how things developed and escalated, and yet he still couldn't help but burst into tears every time he got to the part where the dog died.

Damn American films. He could never watch them around others for fear of having his masculinity questioned. For some reason, it was a common trait among men to avoid any emotional displays, especially those of sadness. Even when a lovable fictitious dog died after living such a full and beautiful life.

Perhaps the risk of mockery wasn't as great around Francis as Gilbert worried. The blond man had, after all, crossdressed on multiple occasions for reasons unknown to Gilbert.

Well, that was the French for you.

Still, despite living with Francis, Gilbert didn't really know him well enough to trust that he wouldn't tease him for weeping hysterically over a movie he'd seen a hundred times before.

It wasn't Gilbert's fault he was an emotional, sensitive guy who enjoyed chick flicks sometimes and...okay, wow, he was defending himself mentally, not setting up a dating profile.

He supposed Francis had a point when he informed Gilbert he should really get out more. The problem was, whenever Gilbert went "out" there were people. And "out" had things to pay for. A lot of things to pay for. And all these social conventions that were altogether completely dumb.

"In" was easier. Gilbert could handle "in." "In" had movies and food and his laptop. And for the most part, no rules outside of "don't trash the place." Which was pretty easy to comply with anyway.

His mind was racing, he realized, not focusing on any one thing for more than a few seconds and certainly not paying attention to the movie. He tried for a while to enjoy the film as it detailed the mischievous yellow lab's adventures in trashing the house and ruining his owners' lives in general, but found he simply couldn't.

Ah, he hadn't really been too invested in seeing the film for the thousandth time anyway. Gilbert chalked it up to pre-trip excitement. It had been far too long since he'd left the apartment, let alone the country.

And then there was the additional excitement of getting to see his little brother after all this time.

He wondered how much little Ludwig had changed. Would he still like Gilbert? How much taller was he? Oh geez, was he taller than Gilbert? That would be freakin' embarrassing. Or maybe he was still the awkward, somewhat lanky teenager Gilbert remembered him as? By the sound of his voice, Ludwig had certainly grown at least some in...God, six years already? What kind of brother left his younger sibling hanging for _six years_?

Well, he mused, what kind of brother agreed to go on an impromptu road trip with someone he hadn't seen for so long? Any sane person would have surely turned the offer down, especially from a man like Gilbert.

Not to say Ludwig was without sanity. It was just...the way things had always been between them. Gilbert had the ideas, and Ludwig filled in the rest and tagged along. Maybe it was a bit unfair, but neither complained.

In any case, Gilbert was glad he'd have his brother along for this trip. It was supposed to be special and big and exciting, and he couldn't imagine it being any of those things without his closest childhood friend.

Ideas and thoughts continued to fire through his brain, the TV continued to play the movie, and the world continued to spin, but something in Gilbert slowed ever so slightly, and for the first time in years he felt content. At peace with the way things were.

And as he fell into the soft grip of slumber, Gilbert decided he should have done this much sooner.


End file.
